The Block – The First Room Goes To Josh and Jenna

by Reality Raver

The things I am loving about The Block this year, is that it is all about the renovations. Last year they sent the couples to work five days a week, so they then had to do everything at night and were very fatigued. And pity the poor clients or bosses that were paying them to under perform for two months.

But now the teams are just able to get on with the job, and by adding in a few challenges this keeps the pace of the show going.

Also I like Scott Cam in the bit more hands on role he is doing this year. Giving advice is his strong point rather than the straight to camera role. However he gets brownie points deducted for calling Jenna a “good sort” in an episode last week.

For example when Josh and Jenna realised they had a dropped floor issue, Scott came in a sorted it out with the site manager.

Now the rooms:

Katrina and Amies looked lovely but was impractical their bed went from wall to wall, anyone over 70 kgs would have to crawl up the bed.

I thought Polly was being deluded when she thought the judges wouldn’t notice the chair under the desk doesn’t fit. Helloooo the producers will tip them off to check it.

Josh and Jenna’s room was the first to be judges. Neale Whittaker said the design was better than the execution. Both judges were not keen on the antique bed as they thought the room had a more modern feel.

Jenna was nervous because their style was so unique. What retro?

The judges thought Polly and Waz’s room was disappointing and underwhelming and it was. They picked up on the chair not fitting under the desk, and they also thought they should have painted the fireplace, as Shelly Craft suggested last week.

John McGrath thought the Rod and Tania’s room had a bit of a Kath and Kim feel. I must say I was not sure of the brown shag pile carpet either.

Katrina and Amie’s room was given some very positive feedback regarding their design. I thought the judges were just nit picking about the dust on the exposed bricks, and the heaviness of the curtains.

Jenna and Josh’s room scored 7 1/2 out of 10 for design, they got 6/10 and they won the week to receive $5000.

Polly and Waz room was called bland, and they didn’t know what it was going to be. The only compliment they got was for their cushions. They got a confidence busting 4/10 for design and 5/10 for execution.

Katrina and Amie got 7/10 for design got 6/10 for execution which meant they were only 1/2 a point behind.

Rod and Tania was said it was cosy and functional but overdesigned. They got 5/10 for design. They got 6/10 for execution for a total of 11.

I bought a fireplace surround recently. As were were painting it, we went for an MDF model, but I have also owned the type Polly & Waz bought, and there is no way I would have painted it either – what a terrible waste!

Think the best room won tonight – the bed was perfect and suited the room, loved the airy freshness of it all

I liked the girls’ room too, but the stripey detail on the wall and the bedhead and the green and the turqoise was all a bit too much for me .. well, actaully it was mainly the clash of the stripe and the bedhead. Loved the way they dressed the bed, and yes, a dusty fireplace? Um, ok.

The bland room was a shocker – what a mess, awkward placements, no cohesiveness, and did they buy that chunky bed from the same awful “chunky-beds-r-us” distributor they got the goddawl bunks they built in the warehouse? Ugh i think they left the plastic on the mattress too ..( ? )

Did not like shagpile room .. very euro-trash minor. And I don’t like green and black.. with brown shag ..

Scott Cam is way better this year. He was so try hard last year, he seems more comfortable. We haven’t seen much of Craft, lets hope it stays that way.
Peter A, yes, those beds are too close to the fires.
I’m going with Josh & Jenna, I like them I don’t know why.
Waz & Polly’s room was so boring, all white, no colour. I would have kept the mantle un-painted too though.

I’d have to disagree that this season “is that it is all about the renovations”. I’ve been looking forward to seeing more of the renovations, instead of watching the teams compete in dull challenges and have their nails painted.

Given they had 5 episodes to show the renovations of the front rooms, for me, it seemed as though they went from “mess” to “finished” very quickly without seeing the hard work involved (although we saw plenty of scenes of shopping, etc).

Polly and Waz are my favourite team, but their room was pretty terrible. It was an odd shape, especially since they retained the large fireplace, but I think they really let themselves down as it was incredibly plain and could have at least used a cheap canvas print over the fireplace to bring some colour and style to the room. None of the other rooms really impressed me. The Euro-trash hotel bedroom was far too over the top and while the sisters’ bedroom looked nice, it seemed very cramped with the entire space being taken up by the bed (which seemed far too close to the “working” fireplace). Josh and Jenna probably had the best room since they used the space well and injected enough “design” without it being overpowering.

However, I thought it was incredibly unfair that Scott and the “site builder” (presumably paid by Channel 9 since I don’t think he was a builder for one of the teams) provided free advice, time and physical labour to help Josh and Jenna finish their room on time, especially since they went on to win the first week. Will other teams be given such assistance at the last minute to ensure they finish? What happens if two teams stuff-up and need help?

With Polly and Waz’s room, they could’ve kept the fireplace like that if they used something else in the room to tie it in. Like have the bed or the desk in the same timber/ stain. It was more the fact that the rest of the room was all white and then you’ve got this big brown mantle thing. It just didn’t fit in with the rest of the room.

I did like Josh and Jenna’s room and was thrilled when they won. Did all of the contestants get the opportunity to check out the other rooms? They always showed them doing that in previous seasons.

my preference for the rooms was the mums’ – I would have decuted more points for the vintage bed – beautiful but out of place, and I felt did not tie the room together, it’s good that they receive feedback

Yes, I miss the bit where the couples used to tour the other rooms .. and their candid comments.. lol … Being nice to each other is the preference when you’re working in close proximity etc on a reality renovating show FOR THEM .. but we all love the drama.. real, imagined, made up, well edited, or otherwise 😀

Of course Channel 9 planted them Maz. If they hadn’t I don’t think they would have got bids for at least two of the items, maybe three! I’m talking metal drawers, ladder and maybe the desk. Those distressed tables always seem to sell.

I have to disagree – we are seeing almost nothing of the actual work these couples are supposedly doing – just a lot of shopping montages and tedious challenges. It makes me wonder just how much hands on work they are doing. First judgement was way off:- while there were faults in the sisters room, and the one with the fireplace, they both showed more design sensibility than the winner. Retro? -yeah that’s never been done before!

Good to see tradies doing the work especially when the houses will be $1 million plus. Buyers won’t pay top dollar for work done by amateurs even if they have renovated before . Renos done by professionals does show. That doesn’t mean that the couples will have nothing to do. They can still help the tradies and keeping supplies up is full time work in itself and then they have to also go around, choose and buy the decor and furnishings. And all in one week ! Anyway I would’ve loved the format to show one couple’s room each night (Mon- Thurs) from start to finish. Then on Friday would be the judging and viewing of each other’s rooms. Don’t forget that the whole reno in reality was finished ages ago so they can screen it any way they like. However I am thrilled it’s on every night. I record it and later I watch it and FF all the non-renovating and drawn out bits.

I completely disagree. I dont no what Tv show your watching but this is the worst reality Tv show this year I have seen. Last was not bad it was showing them that they were actually working and communicating with tradesmen. This year is so terrible. All you see is stupid challenges, shopping and them complaing. The houses are completely bodgy (obviously there all hopeless). This year is all anout ratings last year was actually showing what the objective was. And what was with the Secondhands (seems Channel are a bit tight on cash). I give the blcok this year 1/10.

I think Josh and Jenna bought the wrought iron bed from Adairs because if you look at Monday nights episode I noticed when Josh crawled into a bed at the Adairs shop (the linen shop) while the sales person was at the check out , it looked like the same bed they used in their first room (although could be wrong?)

Can anyone tell me whether there is a way to find out the name of the colour Josh and Jenna have used in their first two rooms? It looks like a steel blue grey or something?

Thanks Heidi. I did manage to catch up on that episode and noticed that bed in Adairs. I really love it, just what I’m looking for. Not sure about the bedside tables they used, they were mismatched, but I guess that’s the trend at the moment.

Cyber bullying the Block contestants is unfair, they are people with feelings, people perceive that what is shown is complete reality. I have been on one of these sorts of programs and the directors cut is designed for the entertainment factor, Jenna would have been heavily edited, I’m sure that she did not pick on Josh as much as was shown. e.g. for our show 80 hours of filming was condensed into 45 mins and was not representative of reality